Shopping
by GamblingDementor
Summary: 30 day OTP challenge: Day eight, your OTP shopping. It's that special time of year and Zhu Li and Varrick go buy presents for their friends.


The aisles were full to the brink with all sorts of shiny things and Varrick's head was beginning to spin a little bit. It was unfair, really, to go buy presents for everyone but himself. Zhu Li had told him that, considering he could buy just about whatever he wanted any time of the year, he might as well just give his friends one day to buy them presents, and if not for them, at least for her. He had accepted but had regretted it about forty two times so far. Every time he got his hands on one of the beautiful presents everywhere around him in this shopping centre, not as a gift idea for someone but just because he liked it, she shook her head disapprovingly and pulled the thing out of his grasp to put it back in place.

"What should we get for Mako?"

He was fairly certain that she had asked this before. They had been going around in circles for hours, discussing over present ideas, and he was just about sure that every single person they knew was covered in their two caddies overfilled with presents, and would receive more than one presenc, even the janitor of Varrick Global Industries' delocalized factories around the world.

"Come on, Zhu Li, we must have something for him already! Please let's stop looking for gifts for everyone but us now!"

She looked up from the foot-long list of people in her hand to give him her most annoyed eyes ever and he gulped, scratching the nape of his neck.

"... Or we can just keep buying stuff, even for Mako, whatever makes you happy, my sweet!"

"I asked you several times already what we should get for your best friend's brother, but every time you avoided the question!"

"I did that? Now, you're just accusing me for no reason! Why do you accuse me so, Zhu Li?"

"And you're trying to do it again! This is why I wanted you to ask Bolin what to get for his loved ones, but you never did!"

"Of course, I did! I told you for Opal's new bison saddle thing!"

"Right, because you didn't make that up on the spot when I asked you! Opal asked us for a bison saddle."

He looked sideways, crossing his arms. He always forgot that lying big and leaving fast could not work with Zhu Li because he couldn't just leave. He found her very cute when angry but that was besides the point.

"Look, I barely know Mako! And he doesn't like me one bit, so I don't think he'd truly like anything we give him."

"We can't just go to the party at Bolin's without anything for him."

"All right, all right... How about books?"

"You think he likes books?"

"Of course I don't! I don't know him at all and I have no idea what he likes!"

"I guess books would be alright..."

"Let's give him something about that secret police of Ba Sing Se, the Tai Li or something. He's a cop, he'd like that."

"The Dai Li are horribly oppressive secret agents, not cops, but really, any idea is good."

Varrick was hoping that the book he grabbed would be the last present of the list, but Zhu Li simply crossed the name off her list and kept walking.

"Who's next?" He asked, resolved to end this and fast.

"Tenzin and Pema."

"Oh, I'll take care of that."

"What?"

"I'll just give them that thing I bought at the auctions that time. They'll love it!"

She seemed to mull over the idea, then nodded.

"Come to think of it, it's a mystery you got ahold of an ancient airbending artifact before him or Avatar Aang."

"Sometimes in life it's easier to be wealthy than to be an airbender, dear."

She tssskd with a certain fondness and crossed their names off her list as well.

For a while they sauntered through the aisles and Varrick's eyes caught on a beautiful silk shirt. He run his fingers over the fabric and was surprised not to be scolded by Zhu Li. He turned to her and saw her looking around, apparently enjoying their surroundings just like him.

"Was that the last one, tiger seal?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you want to keep looking for presents? I was under the impression you weren't having a lot of fun."

"No, I just... Well, what about the Avatar? And Asami?"

"A trip to the best hotel of Ba Sing Se."

"And Su, did we get anything for Su?"

"Varrick, do you trust me?"

"Of course, dear!"

"I'm telling you we have something for everyone."

"Good."

"Well, except for you, that is..."

"Oh, what are you going to get me? Oh, I can't wait!"

"You are going to pay for these and put them in the Satomobile. I'll buy your gift."

"Oh, come on! You're not even going to let me sneak a peak?"

"Absolutely not. Go pay for these and wait for me in the Satomobile. I'll see you later, love."

And just like that, she had completely disappeared in the crowd.

Varrick went through the masses of customers with their two caddies, frustrated as ever. The casheer gave him the broadest of smiles. He was used to that kind of reaction every time he spent some of his wealth. He paid for everything and asked for an employee to help him put all gifts back into the Satomobile. They told him that there was no employee for that, but fell silent when he flashed them some yuans and a lucky lad followed him, pushing the two caddies.

It was snowing when he stepped outside. He had a sort of love-hate relationship with snow. He still remembered waterbenders cheating their way to victory in snowball fights when he was little, down in the South. But at the same time, he had always found snowflakes falling absolutely beautiful. He was hoping that Zhu Li and he would go back to his home tribe one of these days for her to enjoy it as much as him. Probably on the next Glacier Spirits Festival coming up soon. He wished that one day he could even share that with his own children, but they had not mentioned the possibility of an offspring of their own yet and Varrick did not know where she stood on that. Maybe he should ask her some day. One thing was sure, she would be the most amazing mother in the world, if she were so inclined.

He had little time to ponder on the possibilities. As soon as all presents had been piled up in the boot by the mall employee, Zhu Li opened the door of the driving seat and sat down.

"Zhu Li! What did you get me?"

She was holding a box about two feet long that she quickly put on the backseat without letting him study it. He tried to take a look at it but Zhu Li grabbed his chin and turned his head to her.

"Just wait. It's only three weeks away."

He pouted and she gave him a kiss, and made him smile despite his curiosity.

"Besides, I know you still haven't got a gift for me. You might start thinking about that instead of trying to find out what I chose for you."

He always thought it would just be easier for her just to tell him what she wanted, but Bolin had explained that it was a bad idea. Giving gifts was a way of showing love. You couldn't just ask the other person how to love them. You were supposed to already know. What was sure was that Zhu Li definitely knew how to love him. Her gift would be the best, even though he could afford to buy the whole mall if he'd want to.

"I'll find you something, tiger seal."

He started humming throughout the ride back home. He would definitely come up with something.


End file.
